Bioengineering

University of California, Berkeley

This is an archived copy of the 2019-20 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu.

About the Program

Bachelor of Science (BS)

Rated one of the top 10 Bioengineering undergraduate programs in the country, Bioengineering at Berkeley is a multidisciplinary major intended for academically strong students who excel in the physical sciences, mathematics, and biology. Coursework provides a strong foundation in engineering and the biological sciences, with the freedom to explore a variety of topics and specialize in advanced areas of research. All students benefit from intensive group design work, either through a senior capstone project or through independent research in faculty laboratories. The major features small, specialized upper division courses, and direct interaction with faculty. 

The stimulating environment of Berkeley offers a wealth of opportunity for learning, research, service, community involvement, and provides dedicated students the knowledge and skills to become the next leaders in bioengineering.

Course of Study Overview

The department offers one Bioengineering major, with several concentrations. For detailed descriptions of these concentrations, please see the department's website.

Admission to the Major

Prospective undergraduates of the College of Engineering will apply for admission to a specific program in the college. For further information, please see the College of Engineering's website.

Admission to engineering via a Change of College application for current UC Berkeley students is not guaranteed. For further information regarding a Change of College to Engineering, please see the college's website.

Minor Program

The department offers a minor in Bioengineering that is open to all students who are not majoring in bioengineering and who have completed the necessary prerequisites for the minor. For further information regarding the prerequisites, please see the Minor Requirements tab on this page.

Joint Major

The Department of Bioengineering also offers a joint major with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, for students who have an interest in the field of biomaterials. For further information regarding this program, please see the Bioengineering/Materials Science and Engineering joint major page in this Guide.

Visit Department Website

Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

  1. All technical courses taken in satisfaction of major requirements must be taken for a letter grade.

  2. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student’s major and minor programs.

  3. A minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for all work undertaken at UC Berkeley.

  4. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for all technical courses taken in satisfaction of major requirements.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

For a detailed plan of study by year and semester, please see the Plan of Study tab.

Students are advised to consult the approved concentrations to identify an appropriate course sequence for bioengineering specialty areas, and may also design their own program that meets with the below requirements with permission from their faculty adviser. Regular consultation with an adviser is strongly encouraged. Recommended courses for each concentration can be found on the department's website.

Summary of Major Requirements

The requirements for the Bioengineering Bachelor’s Degree is a minimum of 120 semester units and must include the following:

  1. A minimum of 24 total1 upper-division Bioengineering course units (including at least two bioengineering fundamentals courses, a bioengineering design course, and a bioengineering laboratory course)
  2. A minimum of 36 total1 upper-division units in technical topics courses
  3. A minimum of 48 total units in engineering courses2
  4. Six courses (of at least 3 units each) selected to meet the college’s current humanities and social sciences requirements
  5. One course with a substantial ethics component
  6. BioE 103, 11, 25, and 26
  7. Math 1A, 1B, 53, and 54
  8. Physics 7A and 7B
  9. Chem 1A & 1AL (or 4A), and 3A & 3AL (or 12A)
  10. E7 or CS 61A

Lower Division Requirements

BIO ENG 10Introduction to Biomedicine for Engineers (Junior transfers exempt from requirement) 34
BIO ENG 11Engineering Molecules 13
BIO ENG 25Careers in Biotechnology1
BIO ENG 26Introduction to Bioengineering1
MATH 1ACalculus4
MATH 1BCalculus4
MATH 53Multivariable Calculus4
MATH 54Linear Algebra and Differential Equations4
PHYSICS 7APhysics for Scientists and Engineers4
PHYSICS 7BPhysics for Scientists and Engineers4
CHEM 1A
1AL
General Chemistry
and General Chemistry Laboratory
4
or CHEM 4A General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis
CHEM 3A
3AL
Chemical Structure and Reactivity
and Organic Chemistry Laboratory
5
or CHEM 12A Organic Chemistry
ENGIN 7Introduction to Computer Programming for Scientists and Engineers4
or COMPSCI 61A The Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs

Upper Division Requirements

A total of 24 upper division Bioengineering units, including the following: 124
Bioengineering Fundamentals: Choose two courses from list below.
Bioengineering Lab Course: Choose one course from list below.
Bioengineering Design Project or Research: Choose one course from list below.
Technical Topics: a minimum of 36 total upper-division units from list below (includes 24 units of upper division Bioengineering courses). 136
Ethics Requirement: Choose one course from list below.3-4

Bioengineering Fundamentals

Choose two courses from the following:

BIO ENG 101Instrumentation in Biology and Medicine4
BIO ENG 102Biomechanics: Analysis and Design4
BIO ENG 103Engineering Molecules 2 (Students will receive no credit for Bioengineering 103 after completing Chemistry 120B, Molecular Cell Biology C100A/Chemistry C130, or Physics 137)4
BIO ENG 104Biological Transport Phenomena4
BIO ENG 105Engineering Devices 14
BIO ENG 110Biomedical Physiology for Engineers4
BIO ENG 131Introduction to Computational Molecular and Cell Biology4
BIO ENG 144LProtein Informatics Laboratory3

Bioengineering Lab

Choose one course from the following:

BIO ENG 101Instrumentation in Biology and Medicine4
BIO ENG 115Tissue Engineering Lab4
BIO ENG 121LBioMems and BioNanotechnology Laboratory4
BIO ENG 131Introduction to Computational Molecular and Cell Biology4
BIO ENG C136L/EL ENG C145O/INTEGBI C135LLaboratory in the Mechanics of Organisms3
BIO ENG 140LSynthetic Biology Laboratory4
BIO ENG 144LProtein Informatics Laboratory3
BIO ENG 163LMolecular and Cellular Biophotonics Laboratory4
BIO ENG 168LPractical Light Microscopy3

Technical Topics

Choose 36 upper division units from the following:

Any Bioengineering 100-level or 200-level class 13-4
CHEM 120APhysical Chemistry3
CHEM 120BPhysical Chemistry3
CHEM C130/MCELLBI C100ABiophysical Chemistry: Physical Principles and the Molecules of Life 34
CHEM 135Chemical Biology3
CHEM/CHM ENG C170LBiochemical Engineering Laboratory3
CHEM/CHM ENG C178Polymer Science and Technology3
CHEM/COMPSCI/PHYSICS C191Quantum Information Science and Technology3
CHM ENG 140Introduction to Chemical Process Analysis4
CHM ENG 141Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics4
CHM ENG 150ATransport Processes4
CHM ENG 150BTransport and Separation Processes4
CHM ENG 170ABiochemical Engineering3
CHM ENG 170BBiochemical Engineering3
CHM ENG/CHEM C170LBiochemical Engineering Laboratory3
CHM ENG 171Transport Phenomena3
CHM ENG/CHEM C178Polymer Science and Technology3
COMPSCI 70Discrete Mathematics and Probability Theory 24
COMPSCI 160User Interface Design and Development4
COMPSCI 161Computer Security4
COMPSCI 169Software Engineering4
COMPSCI 170Efficient Algorithms and Intractable Problems4
COMPSCI 176Algorithms for Computational Biology4
COMPSCI 186Introduction to Database Systems4
COMPSCI 188Introduction to Artificial Intelligence4
COMPSCI 189Introduction to Machine Learning4
COMPSCI/CHEM/PHYSICS C191Quantum Information Science and Technology3
EECS 127Optimization Models in Engineering4
EECS 149Introduction to Embedded Systems4
EL ENG 105Microelectronic Devices and Circuits4
EL ENG 117Electromagnetic Fields and Waves4
EL ENG 118Introduction to Optical Engineering3
EL ENG 120Signals and Systems4
EL ENG 123Digital Signal Processing4
EL ENG 126Probability and Random Processes4
EL ENG C128/MEC ENG C134Feedback Control Systems4
EL ENG 142Integrated Circuits for Communications4
EL ENG 143Microfabrication Technology4
EL ENG 147Introduction to Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS)3
EL ENG 192Mechatronic Design Laboratory4
ENGIN 40Engineering Thermodynamics4
INTEGBI 115Introduction to Systems in Biology and Medicine4
INTEGBI 127LMotor Control with Laboratory3
INTEGBI 131General Human Anatomy3
INTEGBI 132Survey of Human Physiology4
INTEGBI 135The Mechanics of Organisms4
INTEGBI 148Comparative Animal Physiology3
INTEGBI 161Population and Evolutionary Genetics4
INTEGBI 163Molecular and Genomic Evolution3
INTEGBI 164Human Genetics and Genomics4
IND ENG 160Nonlinear and Discrete Optimization3
IND ENG 162Linear Programming and Network Flows3
IND ENG 172Probability and Risk Analysis for Engineers3
MAT SCI 102Bonding, Crystallography, and Crystal Defects3
MATH 110Linear Algebra4
MATH 118Fourier Analysis, Wavelets, and Signal Processing4
MATH 127Mathematical and Computational Methods in Molecular Biology4
MATH 128ANumerical Analysis4
MATH 170Mathematical Methods for Optimization4
MCELLBI C100A/CHEM C130Biophysical Chemistry: Physical Principles and the Molecules of Life (Students should take BioE 103 instead of MCB C100A, credit applied for those who have already taken C100A before F17) 34
MCELLBI 100BBiochemistry: Pathways, Mechanisms, and Regulation4
MCELLBI 102Survey of the Principles of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology4
MCELLBI 110Molecular Biology: Macromolecular Synthesis and Cellular Function4
MCELLBI/PLANTBI C112General Microbiology4
MCELLBI 130Cell and Systems Biology4
MCELLBI 132Biology of Human Cancer4
MCELLBI 133LPhysiology and Cell Biology Laboratory4
MCELLBI 136Physiology4
MCELLBI 140General Genetics4
MCELLBI 140LGenetics Laboratory4
MCELLBI/PLANTBI C148Microbial Genomics and Genetics4
MCELLBI 150Molecular Immunology4
MCELLBI 160LNeurobiology Laboratory4
MCELLBI 166Biophysical Neurobiology3
MEC ENG 102BMechatronics Design4
MEC ENG 104Engineering Mechanics II3
MEC ENG 106Fluid Mechanics3
MEC ENG 109Heat Transfer3
MEC ENG 118Introduction to Nanotechnology and Nanoscience3
MEC ENG 119Introduction to MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems)3
MEC ENG 132Dynamic Systems and Feedback3
MEC ENG 133Mechanical Vibrations3
MEC ENG C134/EL ENG C128Feedback Control Systems4
MEC ENG 167Microscale Fluid Mechanics3
MEC ENG 185Introduction to Continuum Mechanics3
MAT SCI 103Phase Transformations and Kinetics3
MAT SCI 104Materials Characterization4
MAT SCI 111Properties of Electronic Materials4
MAT SCI 112Corrosion (Chemical Properties)3
MAT SCI 113Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials3
MAT SCI 130Experimental Materials Science and Design3
MAT SCI 151Polymeric Materials3
NUC ENG 101Nuclear Reactions and Radiation4
NUC ENG 107Introduction to Imaging3
NUC ENG 162Radiation Biophysics and Dosimetry3
PHYSICS 110AElectromagnetism and Optics4
PHYSICS 112Introduction to Statistical and Thermal Physics4
PHYSICS 137AQuantum Mechanics4
PHYSICS 177Principles of Molecular Biophysics3
PHYSICS/CHEM/COMPSCI C191Quantum Information Science and Technology3
PLANTBI/MCELLBI C112General Microbiology4
PLANTBI/MCELLBI C148Microbial Genomics and Genetics4
PLANTBI 185Techniques in Light Microscopy3
STAT 133Concepts in Computing with Data3
STAT 134Concepts of Probability4
STAT 135Concepts of Statistics4
STAT 150Stochastic Processes3

Bioengineering Design Project or Research

Choose one course from the following:

BIO ENG 101Instrumentation in Biology and Medicine4
BIO ENG 121LBioMems and BioNanotechnology Laboratory4
BIO ENG 140LSynthetic Biology Laboratory4
BIO ENG 145Intro to Machine Learning in Computational Biology4
BIO ENG 168LPractical Light Microscopy3
BIO ENG 192Senior Design Projects4
BIO ENG H194Honors Undergraduate Research3-4
BIO ENG 196Undergraduate Design Research4

Ethics

All Ethics courses of 3 units or more fulfill one Humanities/Social Sciences requirement.

Choose one course from the following:

BIO ENG 100Ethics in Science and Engineering (Recommended.)3
ENGIN 125Ethics, Engineering, and Society3
ENGIN/IAS 157ACEngineering, The Environment, and Society4
ESPM 161Environmental Philosophy and Ethics4
ESPM 162Bioethics and Society4
HISTORY C182C/ISF C100G/STS C100Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society4
IAS/ENGIN 157ACEngineering, The Environment, and Society4
ISF C100G/HISTORY C182C/STS C100Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society4
L & S 160BEffective Personal Ethics for the Twenty-First Century3
PHILOS 104Ethical Theories4
PHILOS 107Moral Psychology4
STS C100/HISTORY C182C/ISF C100GIntroduction to Science, Technology, and Society4

Minor Requirements

Minor programs are areas of concentration requiring fewer courses than an undergraduate major. These programs are optional but can provide depth and breadth to a UC Berkeley education. The College of Engineering does not offer additional time to complete a minor, but it is usually possible to finish within the allotted time with careful course planning. Students are encouraged to meet with their ESS adviser to discuss the feasibility of completing a minor program.

All the engineering departments offer minors. Students may also consider pursuing a minor in another school or college.

Applicants can apply after second semester sophomore year and up to first semester senior year. Applicants who have completed all of the courses prior to applying will not be accepted into the minor; students must apply first.

General Guidelines

  1. All minors must be declared no later than one semester before a student's Expected Graduation Term (EGT). If the semester before EGT is fall or spring, the deadline is the last day of RRR week. If the semester before EGT is summer, the deadline is the final Friday of Summer Sessions. To declare a minor, contact the department advisor for information on requirements, and the declaration process.

  2. All courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be taken for graded credit.

  3. A minimum technical grade point average of 3.0 (math, science & engineering courses) is required for acceptance into the minor program.

  4. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for courses used to fulfill the minor requirements.

  5. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student’s major and minor programs.

  6. Completion of the minor program cannot delay a student’s graduation.

  7. Please see more details at the department website.

Procedure

  • Students should apply first, before taking courses. Applications are available in 306 Stanley Hall or on the department website. Completed applications should be returned to 306 Stanley Hall. Please include an unofficial copy of your transcript with the application.
  • The department will approve or deny the application. If approved, the department will contact the student via email advising of the decision.
  • Upon completion of the requirements for the minor, the student should complete the Confirmation of Completion form. Please submit the form along with an unofficial transcript to 306 Stanley Hall.
  • The department will verify the completion of the minor and send the original form to the Office of the Registrar. (Note: for graduating seniors, this must be done no later than two weeks after the end of the term.)
  • A notation in the memorandum section of the student’s transcript will indicate completion of the minor.

Recommended Preparation

The upper division requirements for the BioE minor require competency in subject matters covered in the following recommended courses. 

CHEM 3AChemical Structure and Reactivity3
MATH 53Multivariable Calculus4
MATH 54Linear Algebra and Differential Equations4
PHYSICS 7APhysics for Scientists and Engineers 14
PHYSICS 7BPhysics for Scientists and Engineers 14

Upper Division Minor Requirements

College Requirements

Students in the College of Engineering must complete no fewer than 120 semester units with the following provisions: 

  1. Completion of the requirements of one engineering major program study. 
  2. A minimum overall grade point average of 2.00 (C average) and a minimum 2.00 grade point average in upper division technical coursework required of the major.
  3. The final 30 units and two semesters must be completed in residence in the College of Engineering on the Berkeley campus.
  4. All technical courses (math, science and engineering) that can fulfill requirements for the student's major must be taken on a letter graded basis (unless they are only offered P/NP). 
  5. Entering freshmen are allowed a maximum of eight semesters to complete their degree requirements. Entering junior transfers are allowed a maximum of four semesters to complete their degree requirements. (Note: junior transfers admitted missing three or more courses from the lower division curriculum are allowed five semesters.) Summer terms are optional and do not count toward the maximum. Students are responsible for planning and satisfactorily completing all graduation requirements within the maximum allowable semesters. 
  6. Adhere to all college policies and procedures as they complete degree requirements.
  7. Complete the lower division program before enrolling in upper division engineering courses. 

Humanities and Social Sciences (H/SS) Requirement

To promote a rich and varied educational experience outside of the technical requirements for each major, the College of Engineering has a six-course Humanities and Social Sciences breadth requirement, which must be completed to graduate. This requirement, built into all the engineering programs of study, includes two reading and composition courses (R&C), and four additional courses within which a number of specific conditions must be satisfied. Follow these guidelines to fulfill this requirement:

  1. Complete a minimum of six courses from the  approved Humanities/Social Sciences (H/SS) lists
  2. Courses must be a minimum of 3 semester units (or 4 quarter units).
  3. Two of the six courses must fulfill the College's Reading and Composition (R&C) requirement. These courses must be taken for a letter grade (C- or better required). The first half (R&C Part A) must be completed by the end of the freshman year; the second half (R&C Part B) must be completed by no later than the end of the sophomore year. Please see the Reading and Composition Requirement page for a complete list of R&Cs available and a list of exams that can be applied toward the R&C Part A requirement. Students can also use the Class Schedule to view R&C courses offered in a given semester.  Note: Only R&C Part A can be fulfilled with an AP, IB, or A-Level exam score. Test scores do not fulfill R&C Part B for College of Engineering students.
  4. The four additional courses must be chosen from the five areas listed in #13 below. These four courses may be taken on a pass/no pass basis.
  5. Special topics courses of 3 semester units or more will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
  6. Two of the six courses must be upper division (courses numbered 100-196).
  7. One of the six courses must satisfy the campus American Cultures (AC) requirement. Note that any American Cultures course of 3 units or more may be used to meet H/SS 
  8. A maximum of two exams (Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or A-Level) may be used toward completion of the H/SS requirement. View the list of exams that can be applied toward H/SS requirements.
  9. No courses offered by any engineering department other than BIO ENG 100, COMPSCI C79, ENGIN 125, ENGIN 157AC, ENGIN 185, and MEC ENG 191K may be used to complete H/SS requirements.
  10. Language courses may be used to complete H/SS requirements. View the list of language options.
  11. Courses may fulfill multiple categories. For example, CY PLAN 118AC satisfies both the American Cultures requirement and one upper division H/SS requirement.
  12. Courses numbered 97, 98, 99, or above 196 may not be used to complete any H/SS requirement.
  13. The College of Engineering uses modified versions of five of the College of Letters and Science (L&S) breadth requirements lists to provide options to our students for completing the H/SS requirement. The five areas are:
  • Arts and Literature
  • Historical Studies
  • International Studies
  • Philosophy and Values
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences

Within the guidelines above, choose courses from any of the Breadth areas listed above. (Please note that you cannot use courses on the Biological Science or Physical Science Breadth list to complete the H/SS requirement.) To find course options, go to the Class Schedule, select the term of interest, and use the Breadth Requirements filter.

Class Schedule Requirements

  • Minimum units per semester: 12.0
  • Maximum units per semester:  20.5
  • Minimum technical courses: College of Engineering undergraduates must enroll each semester in no fewer than two technical courses (of a minimum of 3 units each, with the exception of Engineering 25, 26 and 27) required of the major program of study in which the student is officially declared. (Note: For most majors, normal progress will require enrolling in 3-4 technical courses each semester). Students who are not in compliance with this policy by the end of the fifth week of the semester are subject to a registration block that will delay enrollment for the following semester. 
  • All technical courses (math, science, engineering) that satisfy requirements for the major must be taken on a letter-graded basis (unless only offered as P/NP).

Minimum Academic (Grade) Requirements

  • A minimum overall and semester grade point average of 2.00 (C average) is required of engineering undergraduates. Students will be subject to dismissal from the University if during any fall or spring semester their overall UC GPA falls below a 2.00, or their semester GPA is less than 2.00. 
  • Students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.00 (C average) in upper division technical courses required for the major curriculum each semester.
  • A minimum overall grade point average of 2.00, and a minimum 2.00 grade point average in upper division technical course work required for the major is needed to earn a Bachelor of Science in Engineering.

Unit Requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, students must complete at least 120 semester units of courses subject to certain guidelines:

  • Completion of the requirements of one engineering major program of study. 
  • A maximum of 16 units of special studies coursework (courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, or 199) is allowed towards B.S. degree, and no more than 4 units in any single term can be counteds.
  • A maximum of 4 units of physical education from any school attended will count towards the 120 units.
  • Passed (P) grades may account for no more than one third of the total units completed at UC Berkeley, Fall Program for Freshmen (FPF), UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP), or UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) toward the 120 overall minimum unit requirement. Transfer credit is not factored into the limit. This includes transfer units from outside of the UC system, other UC campuses, credit-bearing exams, as well as UC Berkeley Extension XB units.

Normal Progress

Students in the College of Engineering must enroll in a full-time program and make normal progress each semester toward the bachelor's degree. The continued enrollment of students who fail to achieve minimum academic progress shall be subject to the approval of the dean. (Note: Students with official accommodations established by the Disabled Students' Program, with health or family issues, or with other reasons deemed appropriate by the dean may petition for an exception to normal progress rules.) 

UC and Campus Requirements

University of California Requirements

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing Requirement. Satisfaction of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all Reading and Composition courses at UC Berkeley.

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a U.S. resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Campus Requirement

American Cultures

The American Cultures requirement is a Berkeley campus requirement, one that all undergraduate students at Berkeley need to pass in order to graduate. You satisfy the requirement by passing, with a grade not lower than C- or P, an American Cultures course. You may take an American Cultures course any time during your undergraduate career at Berkeley. The requirement was instituted in 1991 to introduce students to the diverse cultures of the United States through a comparative framework. Courses are offered in more than fifty departments in many different disciplines at both the lower and upper division level.

The American Cultures requirement and courses constitute an approach that responds directly to the problem encountered in numerous disciplines of how better to present the diversity of American experience to the diversity of American students whom we now educate.

Faculty members from many departments teach American Cultures courses, but all courses have a common framework. The courses focus on themes or issues in United States history, society, or culture; address theoretical or analytical issues relevant to understanding race, culture, and ethnicity in American society; take substantial account of groups drawn from at least three of the following: African Americans, indigenous peoples of the United States, Asian Americans, Chicano/Latino Americans, and European Americans; and are integrative and comparative in that students study each group in the larger context of American society, history, or culture.

This is not an ethnic studies requirement, nor a Third World cultures requirement, nor an adjusted Western civilization requirement. These courses focus upon how the diversity of America's constituent cultural traditions have shaped and continue to shape American identity and experience.

Visit the Class Schedule or the American Cultures website for the specific American Cultures courses offered each semester. For a complete list of approved American Cultures courses at UC Berkeley and California Community Colleges, please see the American Cultures Subcommittee’s website. See your academic adviser if you have questions about your responsibility to satisfy the American Cultures breadth requirement.

Plan of Study

For more detailed information regarding the courses listed below (e.g., elective information, GPA requirements, etc.), please see the College Requirements and Major Requirements tabs.

Freshman
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MATH 1A4MATH 1B4
BIO ENG 1014PHYSICS 7A (taken Sophomore year in Synthetic Biology concentration)4
CHEM 1A
1AL
4CHEM 3A
3AL
5
BIO ENG 261BIO ENG 251
Reading & Composition Part A Course24Reading and Composition Part B Course24
 17 18
Sophomore
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MATH 534BIO ENG 113
PHYSICS 7B4MATH 544
ENGIN 7 or COMPSCI 61A4Humanities/Social Sciences course23-4
Humanities/Social Sciences course23-4Varies by concentration43
 15-16 13-14
Junior
FallUnitsSpringUnits
Varies by concentration412Varies by concentration412
BIO ENG 100 (or Humanities/Social Sciences course with Ethics content)2,33Humanities/Social Sciences course23
 15 15
Senior
FallUnitsSpringUnits
Varies by concentration415Varies by concentration412
 15 12
Total Units: 120-122

Student Learning Goals

Mission

Since our founding in 1998, the BioE faculty have been working to create an integrated, comprehensive program. Much thought has been put into the question, “What does every bioengineer need to know?” The faculty have been engaged in considerable dialogue over the years about what needs to be included, in what order, and how to do so in a reasonable time frame. Balancing depth with breadth has been the key challenge, and we have reached a point where the pieces have come together to form a coherent bioengineering discipline.

Learning Goals for the Major

  1. Describe the fundamental principles and methods of engineering.
  2. Understand the physical, chemical, and mathematical basis of biology.
  3. Appreciate the different scales of biological systems.
  4. Apply the physical sciences and mathematics in an engineering approach to biological systems.
  5. Effectively communicate scientific and engineering data and ideas, both orally and in writing.
  6. Demonstrate the values of cooperation, teamwork, social responsibility, and lifelong learning necessary for success in the field.
  7. Design a bioengineering solution to a problem of technical, scientific. or societal importance.
  8. Demonstrate advanced knowledge in a specialized field of bioengineering.

Advising

Bioengineering provides an array of programmatic and individual advising services. Each student is strongly encouraged to consult with a faculty advisor each semester. Our dedicated Bioengineering undergraduate affairs officer is available through appointments or drop-in times to consult on topics such as course selection, degree requirements, concentration selection, and achieving personal and academic goals. Further advising support is available from staff in the Engineering Student Services Office.

Please see more information on advising on the department website.

Advising Staff and Hours

Undergraduate Advisor:
Marisela Loza
Phone: 510-642-5860
mariselal@berkeley.edu
306C Stanley Hall

Academic Opportunities

Undergraduate Research

We believe it is essential for undergraduates to experience the hands-on application of skills to prepare them for a career in bioengineering. Every student is required to complete at least one semester of research or design before graduation, although most do more. This can be accomplished through our outstanding senior capstone design course, or through other independent study options and research in faculty laboratories. A recent survey shows that 94% of our senior students have undertaken extracurricular research, usually starting in their sophomore year. For research resources, please visit the department website.

Student Organizations

There are several active student organizations related to bioengineering, focusing on academics, research, global healthcare, local outreach, social life, career planning, and other worthy efforts. For further information, please see the Student Life page on the department website.

Courses

Bioengineering

Faculty and Instructors

+ Indicates this faculty member is the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award.

Emeritus Faculty

Boris Rubinsky, Professor Emeritus. Medical imaging, biotechnology, biomedical engineering, low temperature biology, micro and nano bionic technologies, electrical impedance tomography, bio-electronics, biomedical devices biomedical numerical analysis, bio-heat and mass transfer, electroporation light imaging.
Research Profile

Matthew Tirrell, Professor Emeritus. Self-assembled structures for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, electrostatic self-assembly.
Research Profile

Chris Anderson, Associate Professor. Synthetic biology.
Research Profile

Adam Arkin, Professor. Systems and synthetic biology, environmental microbiology of bacteria and viruses, bioenergy, biomedicine, bioremediation.
Research Profile

James Casey, Professor. Continuum mechanics, finite elasticity, continuum thermodynamics, plasticity, theories of elastic-plastic materials, history of mechanics, dynamics.
Research Profile

Irina M. Conboy, Professor. Stem cell niche engineering, tissue repair, stem cell aging and rejuvenation.
Research Profile

Steven Conolly, Professor. Instrumentation, medical imaging reconstruction, contrast, MRI, Magnetic Particle Imaging.
Research Profile

John Dueber, Associate Professor. Synthetic biology, Metabolic Engineering.
Research Profile

Daniel Fletcher, Professor. Bioengineering, optical and force microscopy, microfabrication, biophysics, mechanical properties of cells.
Research Profile

Teresa Head-Gordon, Professor. Computational chemistry, biophysics, bioengineering, biomolecules, materials, catalysis, computational science.
Research Profile

Amy Herr, Professor. Microfluidics, bioanalytical separations, diagnostics, electrokinetic transport, engineering design.
Research Profile

Ian Holmes, Professor. Computational biology.
Research Profile

Richard Karp, Professor. Computational molecular biology, genomics, DNA molecules, structure of genetic regulatory networks, combinatorial and statsitical methods.
Research Profile

Jay Keasling, Professor.

Tony M. Keaveny, Professor. Biomechanics of bone, orthopaedic biomechanics, design of artificial joints, osteoporosis, finite element modeling, clinical biomechanics.
Research Profile

Sanjay Kumar, Professor. Biomaterials, molecular and cellular bioengineering, stem cells, cancer biology, translational medicine.
Research Profile

Liana Lareau, Assistant Professor. Computational biology, molecular biology.
Research Profile

Luke Lee, Professor. Biophotonics, biophysics, bionanoscience, molecular imaging, single cell analysis, bio-nano interfaces, integrated microfluidic devices (iMD) for diagnostics and preventive personalized medicine.
Research Profile

Seung-Wuk Lee, Professor. Nanotechnology, bio-inspired nanomaterials, synthetic viruses, regenerative tissue engineering materials, drug delivery vehicles.
Research Profile

Dorian Liepmann, Professor. Bioengineering, mechanical engineering, bioMEMS, biosensors, microfluid dynamics, experimental biofluid dynamics, hemodynamics, valvular heart disease, cardiac flows, arterial flows.
Research Profile

Gerard Marriott, Professor.

Phillip Messersmith, Professor. Biomaterials, adhesion, polymers, self-assembly, biomimetics, biomedical devices.
Research Profile

Mohammad Mofrad, Professor. Nuclear pore complex and nucleocytoplasmic transport, mechanobiology of disease, cellular mechanotransduction, integrin-mediated focal adhesions.
Research Profile

Niren Murthy, Professor.

Lisa Pruitt, Professor. Tissue biomechanics, biomaterial science, fatigue and fracture micromechanisms, orthopedic polymers for total joint replacement, synthetic cartilage.
Research Profile

Shankar Sastry, Professor. Embedded and cyberphysical systems, artificial intelligence, ar/vr, computer science, robotics, arial robots, cybersecurity, cyber defense, homeland defense, nonholonomic systems, control of hybrid systems, sensor networks, interactive visualization, robotic telesurgery, rapid prototyping.
Research Profile

David Schaffer, Professor. Neuroscience, biomolecular engineering, bioengineering, stem cell biology, gene therapy.
Research Profile

Aaron Streets, Assistant Professor. Biological systems, microfluidics, microscopy, genomics.
Research Profile

Moriel Vandsburger, Assistant Professor. Bioengineering, molecular MRI, MRI.
Research Profile

Michael Yartsev, Assistant Professor. Neuroscience, engineering.
Research Profile

Emeritus Faculty

Thomas F. Budinger, Professor Emeritus. Image processing, biomedical electronics, quantitative aging, cardiovascular physiology, bioastronautics, image reconstruction, nuclear magnetic resonance, positron emission, tomography, reconstruction tomography, inverse problem mathematics.
Research Profile

Kimmen Sjolander, Professor Emeritus. Computational biology, algorithms, phylogenetic tree reconstruction, protein structure prediction, multiple sequence alignment, evolution, bioinformatics, hidden Markov models, metagenomics, statistical modeling, phylogenomics, emerging and neglected diseases, machine-learning, genome annotation, metagenome annotation, systems biology, functional site prediction, ortholog identification.
Research Profile

Contact Information

Department of Bionegineering

306 Stanley Hall

MC 1762

Phone: 510-642-5833

Fax: 510-642-5835

bioeng@berkeley.edu

Visit Department Website

Department Chair

Kumar Sanjay, PhD

274A Stanley Hall

Phone: 510-642-5833

bioe_chair@berkeley.edu

Academic Undergraduate Student Adviser

Marisela Loza

306C Stanley Hall

Phone: 510-642-5860

mariselal@berkeley.edu

College of Engineering Student Services

Advising

230 Bechtel Engineering Center

Phone: 510-642-7594

Fax: 510-643-8653

ess@berkeley.edu

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